Grace passes Donald to earn first tour title

South African fires 66 for two-shot win at RBC Heritage.

Branden Grace shot a 5-under 66 Sunday to overtake Luke Donald and win the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head Island, S.C., for his first PGA Tour title and 11th worldwide victory.

Three shots behind Donald entering the day, Grace moved to the top with four birdies on his first six holes. The South African pulled three shots in front of Donald after birdies on the 12th and 13 holes.

Grace finished at 9-under 275, two shots ahead of Donald and Russell Knox. Donald shot a 71, and Knox had a 67.

Grace earned $1,062,000 and a PGA Tour exemption through the 2017-18 season. He also became the latest to rally past hard-luck leader Donald at Harbour Town Golf Links. The Englishman has finished second four times and third twice in the past eight events there.

Brandt Snedeker shot a final-round 64 to catch Donald and win in a playoff in 2011. Matt Kuchar shot a 64 in 2014, overtaking Donald for the win with a chip-in from the bunker on the 72nd hole.

Donald got to 8 under with a birdie on the seventh hole, then quickly gave it back on No. 8 when he drove in the water and took bogey.

He caught Grace one final time with a ninth-hole birdie, but the South African took control for good with consecutive birdies on the 12th and 13th holes to move to 10 under. He overcame a final challenge on the 16th hole, rolling in a 12-foot par putt to maintain a three-shot lead. A hole behind, Donald lipped out a birdie try.

Grace has proven himself internationally and was in the mix at both the U.S. Open (a tie for fourth) and the PGA Championship (solo third) last year. He became just the second International player to go 5-0 at the Presidents Cup this past fall.

Bryson DeChambeau, the former SMU star who won the NCAA and U.S. Amateur titles last year, tied for fourth in his first event since turning pro, four shots behind Grace after a 68. Kevin Na was tied with DeChambeau after a 69.

Top-ranked Jason Day rebounded from a season-worst 79 on Saturday with a 68 to tie for 23rd at 1 under. He now gets a week off before returning to play at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, starting on April 28. He said he’ll use the time to refresh his mind and improve his fitness, which he said got a bit loose during this last run of tournament golf.

Not that it hurt him on the course. In the past month, Day won the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the World Golf Championship’s Dell Match Play event. He tied for 10th at the Masters and shared the 36-hole lead at Harbour Town until his thirdround blow up.

“I’ve just got to get back, just rest my mind, rest my body and try and get back in the swing of things,” Day said.”

European Tour: Andrew Johnston of England shot a 1-under 70 to win the Spanish Open in Sotogrande for his first tour victory.

Johnston finished with a 1-over 285, one shot ahead of Joost Luiten of the Netherlands and two shots in front of tournament host Sergio Garcia, who shot a final-round of 67, the best of the day.

The Spaniard had the lead coming into the final hole after making consecutive birdies on Nos. 16 and 17, but he closed with a bogey to drop out of contention. Garcia also bogeyed the 15th hole. He had a total of six birdies on the day.

Johnston’s final round included two bogeys and three birdies. He secured the victory by making a difficult short par putt on the par-4 18th.

Branden Grace’s win at Hilton Head was his 11th worldwide.